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Thymol treatment for Varroa

I have been treating hives for Varroa using my own formula made from crystals of Thymol 91% alcohol and high grade mineral oil. 8-12 grams of Thymol crystals dissolved into about 3 ounces of 91% alcohol and then after dissolving the formula I add about 6 ounces of high grade mineral oil. I cut cardboard strips about 8 inches long and 1 -2 inches wide and let these soad for a period of time in the solution. After soaking I place these in a ziploc bag and transport to the bee yard.
My method of placing these in the hive varies, I have placed some of these down in the brood chamber between the frames and others I have placed on top of the brood chamber top bars. My success has been good, I seem to get good results from either application. I have been repeating these applications again in ten days.
Does anyone have other formulas for mixing?
Also I have soaked beer coasters and used on the top bars as well, they work just fine.

Re: Thymol treatment for Varroa

Broodhead, I would be careful with alcohol, this is very poison to bees. You might loos lots of bees the first two or three of days. You can use Thymovar or make your own, a mix of thymol and oil in a sponge. It takes longer to get the right amount of fumes to kill the mites than pure thymol and you pay for oil you don't need, but the treatment time is more than 10 days, and this is most important.

Using alcohol, you should let it sit open for some days till most alcohol is gone, but than a big amount of thymol is also gone with it. You can make your own "apiguard", mix the thymol cristals with vaseline and fill it in a lid from jars or spread it on top of the frames. Grind the thymol cristals with a coffee grinder to a powder, this gives a much better result.

Thymol itself is the active mite killer and any form will work. Check the result from your recipe and see how many mites are left. The result can go from a 50% up to over 95% mites kill, depends on the conzentration of fumes in a certain time in you hive.

Before I used pure thymol in a strip form, I had the best result with lids, filled with thymol powder and a fly screen (hold by a rubber band). The only downside was, the girls tried to close the screen with propolis and I need a spacer for the lid. The bees try it with the strips also, but the thymol is in a kind of fabric or felt and propolis can't hold the fumes back.

Re: Thymol treatment for Varroa

The alcohol is so dilute that it has no effect on the bees. The alcohol is used only to dissolve the crystals. The oil is absorbed into the alcohol and is soaked into the strips for a longer effect time. I also thought about using pure grain alcohol, we call it moonshine and the thymol will dissolve it the booze and it will not kill the bees. Hate to waste good booze, but I will give it a try.
Now about that vaseline, that is a petroleum base and I would use something else that is food safe.
Thanks for the suggestions, Broodhead

Re: Thymol treatment for Varroa

They are dry and do show some signs of wear. The bees sometimes try to comb them into the frame, but usually not. The good thing about this is that the cost of treatment is a fraction of what Apiguard is and the results have been just as good. Eighteen bucks a pound for the thymol crystals and a few bucks for the alcohol and oil. I really like this approach. Broodhead

Re: Thymol treatment for Varroa

I only have 40 hives, so a tub of Apiguard seemed simpler.
I went somewhat low dose this time as a test.
$90 tub was less than half used after 2 treatments, so a rough estimate is $1 hive.
I got sloppy, and used a turkey baster, ran a bead down a couple frame tops.
They track it all over anyway.

Re: Thymol crystals. Where to buy.

Hi there,
I am just getting ready to become a beekeeper, and was told that thymol leave residue in honey in case if I want to have organic honey (hopefully, eventually), I have to use organic product to kill the varroa or any other mites. Did you try other products?
Have you tried formic acid? Since it is organic chemical, I will do some research on it. Any suggestion?

Re: Thymol crystals. Where to buy.

Originally Posted by Sage Kara

Hi there,
I am just getting ready to become a beekeeper, and was told that thymol leave residue in honey in case if I want to have organic honey (hopefully, eventually), I have to use organic product to kill the varroa or any other mites. Did you try other products?
Have you tried formic acid? Since it is organic chemical, I will do some research on it. Any suggestion?

"Organic" and "Natural" don't have much meaning in reality.
For instance suppose you grow tomatoes "organically", load them into wooden crates that are nailed together with galvanized iron nails (from China), glued with who knows what (from China), labeled with recycled paper, printing is ink is from who knows where (Viet Nam) , and those are your organic tomatoes. What the grocer and tomato-hauler do to them when they have them is probably equally inorganic yet they sell at a premium price.

I'm pretty sure there is some Roundup residue in my organic honey. Treatment free here yet I still can't call it organic. IT IS but I just can't do the sales thing. It's raw honey. My hives are nailed and glued and painted with a chemical called titanium dioxide. (it's in all paint)
There is a galvanized with zinc (chemical) screen on my SBB. The only really truly organic honey comes from cutouts from hollow trees and we can't sell that. Organic...meh.